Electrical water-heater.



PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

E. E. SAGER.

ELECTRICAL WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.14.1905

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OR/VEY UNITED sfrnns PATENT onirica.

ELECTRICAL WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed February 14, 1905. Serial No. 245,558.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI E. SAGER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at the city of Vancouver, in the Province of BritishColumbia, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements inElectrical Tater- Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved means for heating water by meansof a current of electricity passing through a coil of wire of highresistance; and my object has been to reduce possible leakage of theelectric current by short-circuiting, &c., to reduce as far aspracticable the volume of water exposed to the heating effect of thecurrent and to avoid the possibility of the current being turned intothe coil when no water is surrounding it. rlhe manner in which it isproposed to effect these purposesisto .coil the heating-wire on a coreof non-conducting material, the wire being laid in spiral grooves in thecore, so that the adjacent coils will be separated from one another by anon-conductor, and the water will be constrained toJiow as much aspossible through the spiral of the groove. The grooves will also bedouble-pitched and the wire double-wound, so that the current ofadjacent wires shall be passing in opposite directions. I also connectthe switch by which the coil is opened to the external circuit to thehandle which operates the stop-cock of the water-supply to insure thatthe heatingcoil is surrounded with water before the electric current ispassed through it.

v The invention is fully described in the following specification andillustrated in the drawings which accompany it, in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of the heater and switchboard; Eig. 2, a verticalsection through the heater and part elevation of the switch; Fig. 3, across-section on the line A A in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 2 represents a core of volcanic lava or other suitableinsulating material, around which double-pitched spiral grooves 3 arecarried from end to end, which grooves are preferably square incross-section. This core is-inclosed in an outer casing 4, of glass orother suitable material, which fits the core as closely as practicable.The

ends of the outer casing 4 are closed by end pieces 5 and 6, which aredrawn tightly on the ends of the casing, so as to form watertight jointsthereon, by a member 7, which passes through the core 2 and the endpieces 5 and 6 and is provided with nuts at top and bottom or othersuitable means for drawing the parts together and tightening the endjoints, jointing material being introduced, if necessary, to edect thesealing. T he mem# ber 7 is provided with a central aperture at eachend, which apertures are connected with the water-space within thecasing by apertures 11, drilled through the member 7. The lower end ofthe central stem 7 is connected to the water-service by a pipe 8, inwhich is a stopcock 9, and to the upper end of 7 a waterdelivery pipe 10is secured.

A wire offering a high resistance to the passage of an electric currentis connected through one of the end pieces 5 or 6 to the terminals 14and 15, one coil 12 of the wire being laid in one groove of thedouble-pitched spiral 3 of the core and crossing at the opposite end isbrought up the other groove of the spiral in the coil 13. The ends ofthe coil-wire, being carried through suitable insulation in the endpiece 5, are connected to terminals 14 and 15. To one terminal 14 isconnected the wire 30 of the external circuit, and thc other, 15, isconnected on the switchboard 21-to one of the plates 16 of the switch,by which the current is passed through the heating-coils 12 18 whendesired, the other plate 17 being connected to the other terminal of theexternal circuit. The contact-plates 16 and 17 are bridged by aswitch-bar 19, forming an extension of the handle 2O of the stop-cock 9,the position of the switch-bar 19 being so set in relation to the portin the plug of the cock 9 that the port will be opened for the passageof water before the switchebar 19 bridges the plates 16 and 17 andpermits the current to pass Y through the coil.

The water-heater vessel and its connections to the water-service will beproperly insulated to avoid current leakage and the switchboard 21provided with the necessary safety-fuses.

To further avoid leakage or short-circuiting IOO of the current throughthe water, after coiling conducting material having double-pitchedspiral grooves, a wire coiled inone groove from end to end and returningin the other, the terminals of which wire are connected to the terminalsof an external electric circuit, a casing inclosing the coil comprisinga tubular portion fitting" as closely as practicable, the cross-sectionof the core, and two end portions jointed water-tight on the ends ofthis tubular portion, a rod or stem passing through the center of thecore and the ends of the casing, the ends of which stem are eachprovided with a central aperture communicating with the space within thecasing at the ends of the core, means for tightening the ends of thecasing upon the tubular portion thereof, means for connecting theWater-service to one end ofthe central stem and means for deliveringwater from lthe other end.

2. In an electrical water-heater, a casing formed of insulating materialand having supply and discharge pipes, an insulating-core within saidcasing and abutting the side walls of the casing, said core havingspiral channels extending its length, a resistance-coil extendingthrough said casing and in said spiral channels, supply and dischargepipes connecting with the chamber at each end, said spiral passagesbeing of sufcient depth to permit the passage of water therethrough fromone end of the casing to the other, and connections whereby an electriccurrentis passed through said coil.

3. In an electrical waterheater,acasingcom posed of insulatingmaterialand having conducting ends, supply and discharge pipes connecting withsaid ends of the casing, an electric resistance-coil extending betweenthe conducting ends of the casing and in direct contact with the fluid,means for causing the iiuid to iiow from one end of the casing to theother end in spiral streams following the direction of the winding ofthe resistance-coil, and conducting-wires extending from the casing'to asource of electrical-energy.

4. In an electrical water-heater, an insulating Water-chamber,supply anddischarge pipes connected therewith, an electrical resistancecoilextending through the chamber from end to end, conducting-wiresconnected withthe coil, a` controlling-switch with which one of saidwires connects, a cock to control the fiow of water through the chamber,said cock having an operating-handle forming a part of thecontrolling-switch whereby the switch will be opened before the cock isclosed and vice versa, and means within the water-chamber for directingthe water in a spiralcourse following the direction of the Windingof theresistancecoil, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an electrical water-heater of the class described, awater-chamber, an inlet-pipe at one end of said chamber and anoutlet-pipe at the other end thereof, an insulating-filling for saidwater-chamberof less length than the water-chamber to formwater-compartments at each end of the water-chamber, saidinsulating-filling having spiral channels on its periphery communicatingwith said water-compartments to permit passage of the water from onecompartment to the other through said spiral channels, a resistance-coilWound in said spiral channels, means for connecting said resistance-coilto a source of electrical energy, a switch in said electric connection,a waterinlet pipe communicating with one ofthe water-compartments of thewater-chamber and an outlet-pipe communicating with the otherwater-compartment of the water-chamber, a cut-off valve having anoperating-handle forming a part of said switch and arranged to close theelectric circuit after the valve has been opened, all being arrangedsubstantially as shown and described.

6. In an electrical water-heater of the class described, awater-chamber` an inlet-pipe at one end of said chamber and anoutletfpipe at the other end thereof, an insulating-filling for saidwater-chamber of less length than the water-chamber to formwater-compartments at each end of the water-chamber, saidinsulating-filling having spiral channels on its periphery communicatingwith said Water-compartments to permit passage of the Water from onecompartment to the other through said spiral channel, a resistance-coilwound in said spiral channels, means for connecting said resistance-coilto a source of electrical energy, a switch in said electric connection,a waterinlet pipe communicating with one of the water-compartments ofthe water-chamber and an outlet-pipe communicating with the otherwater-compartment of the water-chamber, a cuto valve having anoperatinghandle forming a part of said switch and arranged to close theelectric circuit after the valve has been opened, and a rod passingthrough said insulating-filling within the water-chamberfrom end to end,said rod having tubular portions at its ends in communication with theinlet and outlet pipes and having said tubular ends provided withperforations in communication with the water-compartments of thewater-chamber, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

7. An electrical water-heater comprising a shell, a bar disposed thereinand having spiral water-passages in its periphery, a resistancecoilwound in said Water-passages, substantially as shown and described.

8. An electricalwater-heater comprising a shell, a bar disposed thereinand having spiral water-passages in its periphery, a resistancecoilwound in said Water-passages, means for admitting water to one end ofsaid shell and an offtale at the other end of said shell,substantiallyas shown and described.

9; In an electrical Water-heater adapted for heating iiowing water, anouter shell, end closures therefor and a supporting-core Witl1- IOO inthe shell having double spiral channels on its periphery to formWater-passages, said shell having water-chambers at each end, and adouble spirally-wound current-conducting medium wound in said channels,substantially as shown and described.

10. An electric Water-heater comprising a shell, a bar or core disposedtherein and having double spiral Water-passages, a resistanceeoil Woundin said Water-passages, substantially as shown and described.

l1. An electric -Water-heater comprising a shell, a bar or core disposedtherein and having spiral water-passages for conveying the Water fromone end of the shell to the other, a resistance-coil Wound in saidspiral passages in a double coil with its terminals at one end of thebar, substantially as shown and described.

12. In an electric Water-heater Jfor heating V flowing Water, a doubleshell or casing having inlet and outlet passages, alongitudinallyperforated supporting member having reverse spiralchannels formed therein, a cur rent-conducting medium in said chlannels,end closures `for said shell, one of which is pro- 1 vided with aplurality of perforations for the ELI E. SAGER.

Vitnesses:

ROWLAND BRi'iTAiN, ELLICF. W EBBER.

